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Texas is entering the 2026 college football season carrying enormous expectations. The Longhorns bring back one of the most talented rosters in the country, led by quarterback Arch Manning, and many believe Steve Sarkisian’s program is ready to make a serious run at a national championship.
ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum is among those who believe Texas should be considered the favorite in the SEC. Speaking Tuesday on Get Up, Finebaum placed the Longhorns ahead of Georgia entering the fall.
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In his view, Texas simply has fewer questions and more overall talent at the moment. Now, the pressure is on Sarkisian and the Longhorns to prove it on the field: “Texas is the team to beat,” Finebaum said. “They have the goods in every department.”
Evidently, Finebaum believes some of the support for Georgia comes from what Kirby Smart has accomplished in recent years, rather than what the Bulldogs have done in the College Football Playoff lately.
“I think there’s just too much recency bias,” Finebaum added. “Okay, Kirby Smart. The problem that Kirby Smart has had the last couple of years is he can’t win in the CFP.”
Georgia has continued to win SEC championships and remain in the national title conversation, but Finebaum argued that conference success alone is no longer enough for the Bulldogs’ fan base.
“Those SEC championships look good, but they don’t mean anything to his fan base, who really felt like they should have won three in a row a couple of years ago, until they lost in the SEC Championship Game,” Finebaum explained. “With one loss, they didn’t make the Playoff. Of course, that was the last year of the four-team Playoff.”
Alas, Finebaum made it clear he still views Georgia as one of the best programs in the country. However, he believes Texas enters the 2026 season in a stronger position: “Georgia is very good, but I think Texas is better right now,” Finebaum said.
Moreover, Finebaum has already made similar comments about the pressure facing Texas this season. Earlier this week, he argued the Longhorns must reach the national championship game after falling short of the College Football Playoff in 2025.
“You don’t get to this point with one of the most celebrated players in modern college football history and lay an egg like Texas did last year,” Finebaum delineated.
Texas suffered early losses to Ohio State and Florida before falling to Georgia later in the season. Those defeats ultimately kept the Longhorns out of the playoff despite entering the year as one of the preseason favorites.
Manning still finished the season with strong numbers, throwing for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns while adding 399 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground. He now enters 2026 as one of the leading Heisman Trophy contenders.
Additionally, Texas added several impact players through the transfer portal, including wide receiver Cam Coleman, while returning stars such as offensive tackle Trevor Goosby and edge rusher Colin Simmons.
“They have one of the best rosters, if not the best, in all of college football,” Finebaum said. “Certainly the best in the SEC. They have to get to the title game.”
The talent is in place. According to Finebaum, Texas is now the team everyone else in the SEC is chasing. We’ll see if that comes to fruition in 2026.
